The Magic World of Plants and what we can learn from / about them: Psychopedagogical / Teaching Dimensions

2. CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
12:30-12:45 Nature Explores
09:00-09:15 Fascination of Plants and Science Education in Early Sofia Kanaki, Marina-Adriana Mbouna, Eleni Stavraka
Childhood Education University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
Michail Kalogiannakis
Lecturer - University of Crete, Faculty of Education
Department of Preschool Education 12:45-13:00 Travelling to the magical world of plants!
Ioanna Liakou, Filoxeni Magdalinou
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
09:15-11:15 Psychology of Plants and Their Secret World: Myth or
Reality? 13:00-13:15 Experiments to stimulate English city youngsters interest in
Marios Pourkos Plants
Professor, University of Crete, Faculty of Education Bob Wright
Head of Biology at North London comprehensive school
11:15-11:35 Learning the native plants at the University Campus
Marianna Kalaitsidaki 13:15-13:30 Children through four seasons
Assistant Professor, University of Crete – Department of Primary Education Zacharenia Karampini, Johanna Tzanaki
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
11:35-12:00 The garden that we planted …
Marina Paterakis, Hro Xolxlidaki, Maria Vavouraki, Katerina Diplaraki,
Valia Skoufou
13:30-13:45 Exploring the natural environment
Teachers of the Preschool Education Center “Small Laboratory” Myrto Koumantou, Despina Χatzistavridou
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
13:45-14:00 Plants: Our friends!
Katerina Agnandi, Konstantina Kourou
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
12:00-12:30 Break - Music- “Sharing” - “Promise”
14:00 -… Peripatetic learning in the nature of Gallos Campus with
dialogue about the plants - Closure of the conference
Marianna Kalaitsidaki, Marios Pourkos, Michail Kalogiannakis
University of Crete, Faculty of Education

3. ABSTRACTS
Fascination of Plants and Science Education in Early Childhood Education
Michail Kalogiannakis
Lecturer - University of Crete, Faculty of Education
Department of Preschool Education
The fascinating world of plants is associated with activities from the didactics of Natural
Sciences for the Preschool Education in a journey of emotions, sounds and images. The
real and virtual seeds that are planted are an effort to try to touch the sensitive hearts of
children and ours. Through systematic instructive interventions and collaboration of
preschool teachers and students, children study the natural environment in which we live,
contact with plants; study the benefits of nature in our lives and ways to protect our
environment. In this conference, we share our love for plants and will reflex for all that
we have materialised up to today for the plants and the environment. We give a promise
for a ‘‘dynamic involvement in love’’ for the plants and the environment in the near
future.
Psychology of Plants and Their Secret World: Myth or Reality?
Marios Pourkos
Professor, University of Crete, School of Education
Department of Pre-School Education, Director of the Laboratory of Psychological
Research and of the Unit of Ecological Psychology and Experiential, Heuristic and
Dialogic/Communicative Psychopedagogy
"Love, joy, fear, pleasure, pain, frustration, surprise and even a number of responses to
stimuli are observed in the behavior of plants like in the behavior of animals." These are
the words of Jagadis Chundra Bose, the first Indian scholar who excelled in modern
science and is internationally recognized for his studies in physics, physiology and
psychology. Bose, who started developing these claims since the early 20th century until
he died in1937 He believed that what we find in man we meet also in plants. These
claims have been forgotten by scientists of the Western world and some thirty years later,
in 1966, appeared again in the work of American researcher Cleve Backster in New
York, a criminologist of the CIA and specialist in lie detection, who totally coincidentally
was interested in the "potential" of plants. Backster had the unusual idea of connecting a
house plant to his lie detector to see if the plant would respond with a galvanic skin reflex
(GSR) to the death of a living organism nearby. Backster reasoned that, should the plant
respond, we would have a new crime-fighting weapon; plants could be used as crime
witnesses. Long after his first experiments, Backster studied the research findings of
Bose, which seemed quite similar to his own. Backster recognized the scientific work of
Bose, and mentioned it in his article, titled "Evidence of a Primary Perception in Plant
Life", published in International Journal of Parapsychology, vol. 10, no. 4, Winter 1968,
pp. 329-348. According to the Backster’s experiments, based on the logic of the lie
detector, plants react to threats and thoughts of people reaching the conclusion that they
have consciousness, experiencing a wide range of emotions and thoughts and, also, that
they can communicate and read human thought. The presentation aims to summarise the
research findings of Bose and Backster and the critique that is done. It shows and
discusses the life of plants using film material with computer animations, fiber optics and
unique time-lapse photography which reveals the magic and private world of plants. It is
fascinating how this world seems to be as dramatic, adventurous and full of surprises like
animals’ world including and humans.

4. Learning the native plants at the University Campus Experiments to stimulate English city youngsters interest in Plants
Marianna Kalaitzidaki Bob Wright
Assistant Professor - University of Crete - Department of Primary Education Head of Biology at North London comprehensive school
Crete, despite its small size has 1700 different plant species, 170 of which are endemic. Until quite recently, gardening has not been seen as “cool”. Central urban children in
Part of this rich biodiversity, we can see here at the University of Crete, Gallou Campus. England often have no garden. Rich suburban families often have a professional
In the spring months March and April, beautiful surprises are in store for the initiated. gardener. When children hear Dad moaning about mowing the lawn again, they get
Shrubs in full bloom and wild flowers like cyclamen, irises, orchids of the genus negative empathies. In the framework of this presentation we will present some of the
Ophrys, and Orchis, one step away from the lecture halls and our offices, await for us to ways and simple experiments, we use to provide stimulation in science lessons at
get to know them, to appreciate them and, who knows, may in the future even want to different ages.
protect them.
Children through four seasons
Zacharenia Karampini, Johanna Tzanaki
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
The garden that we planted …
Marina Pateraki, Iro Chochlidaki, Maria Vavouraki, Katerina Diplaraki, Children experience the magic of plants through four seasons as they appear in children
Valia Skoufou literature, arts and their experience. The project has the duration of one week and will
Τeachers of the Preschool Education Center “Small Laboratory” consist of theoretical and practical activities for kindergarten children aged four to six
years.
Our engagement with the 4 elements of nature, Air, Water, Fire, Earth and the
involvement of parents in the program of activities of the Preschool Educational Center
“Small Laboratory” (in Greek “Mikro Ergastiri”) led to the creation of the project on the
subject ‘‘The garden that we planted”. The trees, the plants and the herbs, were certain
of the elements that were studied during this project. Exploring the natural environment
Myrto Koumantou, Despina Χatzistavridou
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
Utilizing a four-day teaching intervention is a systematic effort to make the children
appreciate the natural environment in which we live. Substantially, we bring them into
Nature Explores contact with nature, we study the benefits of nature in our lives and how to protect
Sofia Kanaki, Marina-Adriana Mbouna, Eleni Stavraka nature.
University of Crete - Faculty of Education - Department of Preschool Education
Children were encouraged to plant seeds, experiencing the process of sowing and we
chatted to the company about the world of plants. We viewed a short video, and then the Plants: Our friends!
children used their bodies to represent the growth of plants. Continuing they were Katerina Agnandi, Konstantina Kourou
divided into groups where they used visual imaging of nature, and experimented with University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
colour from plants and herbs. Finally the children created a summary activities book.
Our aim is the children's active participation in the educational procedure through
experimental and visual activities. More specifically we will initially focus on a
discussion of the day, to look at the children's knowledge of this topic. After that it will
follow the construction of a poster for the importance of the plants in our lives and of
flowers from various materials. It will also finish with a theatrical game about the plant
Travelling to the magical world of plants! growth and planting flowers.
Ioanna Liakou, Filoxeni Magdalinou
University of Crete - Department of Preschool Education
Contact: Michail Kalogiannakis, Lecturer, Department of Preschool Education, University of Crete.
Secretary: Student’s group of the seminar SPA110.
We present the actions and effects of plants to the environment and humans. We use the Graphics: Konstantinos Νyktaris, Specialized Laboratorial Staff, Drama and Visual Arts
orange tree and its products, demonstrating how to make an orange drink! Endemic Laboratory, Department of Preschool Education, University of Crete.
species and fairy-tales with plants are also used. We will portray as well as an Technical support: Nikos Kapelonis, George Tournakis, Network Group, Faculty of Education,
experiment of colouring flowers and we will show flowers made of paper. University of Crete.
Sponsor: Klapsinakis Bookstore.